Dear SLPs and Teachers, you are not alone if you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or “burned out” at work currently. With ever-increasing class/caseload sizes, workloads, and to-do lists; it’s no surprise that you are feeling this way. I want to share why and how you can incorporate self-care into your daily or weekly routine, as a way to help you manage these feelings before it becomes a more serious problem.
When is overwhelm not OK?
First, let my start by saying that unfortunately, in our roles as SLPs and/or teachers, occasional moments of overwhelm and stress are relatively normal. BUT when it gets to a point where you’re regularly overwhelmed or stressed, and it is negatively impacting on your wellbeing and emotional/physical health, that’s when it changes from being “normal” to being “not ok”, and you need to do something. That “something” will be different for all of you. It may involve speaking to your administration or management team to request some additional time to get tasks completed, it may be requesting additional staff support, or you may need to take a personal day. If you are are at that point, please, don’t keep it to yourself; speak up and get support… for your sake, as well as your students’. (You can’t pour from an empty cup, right?).
How can Self-Care help?
If you’re not feeling completely overwhelmed and stressed just yet, but you feel like you need to focus on YOU for a little bit, self-care can help. Self-care can have a positive effect on your mental and physical health. It is something that is important, and you should try to fit into your regular routine as much as possible.
Self-care is different for everyone. For you, self-care may be exercising (which has been found to help individuals self-regulate and manage emotions better in difficult situations). For your teacher colleague, self-care may mean going to bed early. Research has found that teachers’ poor sleep and levels of stress can have a detrimental effect on students’ academic experience; so good sleep (another act of self-care) is vital. For your SLP friends, self-care may be a pamper session, or even a meal out with friends.
It doesn’t matter what your self-care looks like; what matters is that you take the time to do it.
How can I get started with Self-Care as an SLP or Teacher?
If you’re interested in doing some self-care, but you’re not sure where to start, I have a FREE eBook, designed especially for SLPs and Teachers. The Self-Care eBook includes 20 simple, easy acts of self-care that suit all budgets and schedules! I firmly believe that self-care doesn’t need to be anything elaborate or expensive; it can be something as simple as taking a nap! Check out the eBook now to get started.
Just so you know, by downloading the eBook you’ll be added to my email list and you’ll get the password for the freebie library on my site. I promise I won’t fill your inbox with junk, but you can unsubscribe at any time.
What does the Self-Care for SLPs and Teachers eBook include?
The Self-Care eBook for SLPs and Teachers includes 20 acts of self-care. There are a range of ideas to suit any budget and schedule. So even if you feel like you “don’t have time” to devote to self-care; there will be an idea that will work for you! Ideas range from taking a bath, to saying “no” to more things (something we can all benefit from!).
The Self-Care eBook also includes three black and white colouring pages. You can print these and colour by hand, or take screenshots and colour on your tablet. A perfect way to unwind after a busy day!
Finally, the Self-Care eBook for SLPs and Teachers also comes with two self-care journal pages, to help you reflect on current stressors and to help you plan when/how you will do some self-care. These pages are editable, so you can fill them in on your tablet.
I hope you agree that now is the time to prioritise your own self-care. So please, dear SLP and Teacher colleague, leave the paperwork at work, and take the time for self-care that you so rightfully deserve.